Furniture-caster.



No. 649,506. Patented May I5, |900.

G. n. CLARK. FURNITURE EASTER.

(Application Bled Mar, 3. 1R00.) {No Model.)

H7 7 Arron/ver,

Tua uonmsym'sns co. PNoTuIHD.. wAsnINaYoN. n. c.

5o normal positions and underlie the bulbous UNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

FU RNITU REnCASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,506, dated May 15, 1900.

Application filed March 3, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture-Casters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The aim oli' this invention is to provide a cheap, yet strong and serviceable, means for separably connecting the pintle and socket of a furniture-caster.

My said invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure I is a side elevation of a complete caster embodying said invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the socket and the pintle-retaining device (which latter is the essential feature of my present invention) in central vertical section. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 illustrate certain modilications of my said invention that are fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings the letter a denotes a caster-frame, b a pintle secured at its lower end to the said frame, and c the usual roller pivotally mounted in the horns d of said frame.

dindicates a tubular socket having a flange or, as here illustrated, an enlarged cupped lower end portion d', adapted to engage the leg of a table, chair, or other article of furniture, the inner diameter of the body of the soclet being such as to easily receive the pintle In the variations of my invention illustrated in the several ligures the upper end portion d2 of the socket is contracted to a somewhat less diameter than the body portion, and upon this contracted end portion d2 I mount a ring or collar c, having one or more Spring-tongues c', that extend through the circumferential wall of the socket and lie in the path of the pintle Z2 when the latter is inserted in the socket.

b' is a bulbous enlargement at or near the free end of the pintle l), which when the pintle and socket are being assembled engages the spring-tongues e" and forces them outward until the said bulbous portion has passed the said springs, when the latter return to their Serial No. 7,250. (No model.)

head, engaging the same sufliciently to prevent the accidental separation of the pintle and socket. The particular niannerotI securing the socket and collartogether is, however, not material, since the engagement of the spring-tongues with the socket is sufiicient. Neither does it matterhow m anyof the springtongues e are provided.

In order to additionally secure the socket and collar together, I may (as shown in Figs. l and 2) head over or spin out the thin upper end of the socket, as at 033.

In Fig. 3 the collar e is capped over, as at e2, thus closing the otherwise open upper end of the socket and excluding dirt, dsc. In Fig. t I have illustrated the collar e as similarly capped over, the said cap being perforated to receive one or more lips d4, extending upward from the socket, the said lips being headed over or clenched, as seen in said Fig. a, to additionally lock the collar and socket se-v curely together.

In the variation of my invention illustrated in Fig. 5 the reduced socket portion cl2 is of considerable length. The collar eis mounted thereon and has the spring-'tongues c extending` upward instead of downward, as hereinL before described. The collar in this construction is additionally retained in place on the socket by short spurs or lips c3, that extend inward through the wall of the socket, as seen in the said view, Fig. 5.

In practice yit will be observed that when the pintle is inserted into the socket and is in the normal positionJ-as, for example, as shown in the drawings--the lower portion of the pintle is afforded a firm unyielding bearing and the Lipper' portion of the pintle is also afforded a iirm unyielding bearing. In this way the correct` alinement of the pintle is always maintained, and the upper end cannot be pushed laterallyindependently of the socket, so as to press back the spring-tongues c', or either of them. This is an advantage,

tle.

reduced portion of the upper end of the socket is preferably made seamless-that is, solid-so that it acts as a reinforce to prevent the spreading of the socket or the permanent spring-tongues.

The momentary spreading of the socket Would tend to split the furniture, While the permanent spreading of the spring-tongues would render them ineffective. Both of these dangers are provided against by the reinforcing-collar.

My described device is strong, cheap, and serviceable, and the collar e not only serves to support the spring-tongue, but it also serves When the socket cl is formed as a twopart tube or as a sheet-metal rolled tube with a bulbous portion adapted to be engaged by the said tongue, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination, a tubular socket having a reduced upper end, a collar mounted upon the said reduced portion and having springtongues that extend inward through the Wall of the socket, and adapted to engage a pintle having a bulbous enlargement.

4. In combination, a socket With reduced upper end, a collar mounted on the said reduced portion and formed with integral tongues that extend into the socket, said tongues securing the collar to the socket, the ends of said tongues being adapted to en gage a pintle having a bulbous portion.

5. In combination, a socket With reduced upper end, a collar mounted on the said reduced portion and formed with integral tongues that extend into the socket, said tongues securing the collar to the socket, the ends of said tongues being adapted to engage a pintle having a bulbous portion, and means whereby said collar is additionally secured to said socket.

Signed at Plainville, Connecticut, this 19th day of February, 1900.

GEORGE D. CLARK.

VitnesseS:

i M. G. CLARK,

J. SANFORD OORBAN. 

